All work and No Play- Work Life Balance in Teams

Members of the public often have the idea that service dogs never get to "just be dogs". This assumption couldn't be farther from the truth, especially if a team plans to function for many years to come.The balance between working together and playing together is one that begins to be established as soon as you and your SD (or potential SD when owner training) enter into each others' lives beginning with the definition of play  for each.

 Common Dog Definitions of Play

1. Play is mutual. I want to play with you!
2. Favorite dog games include Tag, Chase, Keep Away, Sharable toys, Hide and Seek.
3. Play is enjoyable for both of us, if you are not having fun it lessens my fun.

Common Human Definitions of Play

1. Playing with your dog means toys and other dogs.
2. Play is fetch and tug.

The real definition of play of course is any activity that gets both you and your SD smiling, laughing, enjoying each others company, and leaves you both feeling recharged and connected. Teams that play together everyday strengthen their bond, lessen the effects of a stressful world, maintain training, gain insights into each others personalities, improve team members health both physically and mentally. I seem to get partnered with dogs whose sense of play requires me to "lighten up" and be able to take a well timed joke. --Yes, dogs can be practical jokers, especially those clever enough to be service dogs.-- Both Bastien and Shilo's sense of humor spanned the spectrum from out right goofiness to well time jokes including hiding right behind me, to the ever popular squeal inducing goose and sneak slurp.

Learn More About the Importance of Play for People and Dogs

1. Play and kids- http://udel.edu/~roberta/play/
2. Play, Creativity, and Lifelong Learning: WHY PLAY MATTERS FOR BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS-http://www.helpguide.org/life/creative_play_fun_games.htm 
3. Autism and Play (Book) http://books.google.com/books?id=ujE6lxdMG5IC&printsec=frontcover&dq=play+autism&source=bll&ots=574regUp8o&sig=V45TmR1psFmAAHoMHOcEpiZ3bp0&hl=en&ei=QO69TLl8kPazA_LmoMQM&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=15&sqi=2&ved=0CG4Q6AEwDg#v=onepage&q&f=false 
4. Dog Play & Exercise: Tips on what type of exercise/ play and how much is appropriate-http://hssv.convio.net/site/DocServer/dog_playandexercise.pdf?docID=1117 
5. Play with your Dog by Pat Miller http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=dtb1011 
6. Play Together - Soft Cover Book-HAPPY AND HEALTHY PLAY BETWEEN PEOPLE AND DOGS: Play is fun and frolicsome, but it is powerful stuff! Learn how to use it to enhance your relationship with your dog. http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/product/play-together-stay-together

7. Dog Games You Can Play if You are Physically Impaired-http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/16_6/features/dog-games-physically-impared_20758-1.html

    

My Favorite Harness is Back!

My absolute favorite multi-functional service dog harness is back on the market! I bought this harness for my first service dog, Bastien, used it until he retired then transferred it to Shilo and used it until it literally died from use. I was saddened to discover the woman who made each harness by hand had passed away and the harness it seemed would not be made anymore. I decided to see if I could find someone to fix or re-create my harness to no avail. Non of the fixes or remakes would as well as the original. The Freedom Design harness is designed with service dog partners using wheelchairs in mind, but I have seen this versatile harness used for partners needing guiding, and light counter balance as well. I cannot say enough good things about this harness! If you are looking for a haness that is:

• Multi-funtional
• designed for use by people with extremely limited hand function
• designed to allow the dog freedom of movement
• designed to allow for a flexible and angle variable connection between dog and partner ( this is how I was able to have a wheelchair pulling dog who did not have to lean sideways to pull from along side the wheelchair)
• attractive
• light weight
• machine washable
• durable (at least I hope it still) I had mine for 12 years before it died.
• Reasonably priced at $85

This post is peppered with pictures of both my dogs in the same Freedom Design harness (that's right, the one I bough and used for 12 years)! Before you ask, none is paying me for this post. I just like to sing the praises of a quality product when I find one!

Furry Valentines- Four legged love!

Labrador Love!

True comfort with everything that come from being with me!

Bastien

Shilo

What, it's cozy!?

The girls, Cammy and Shilo

Together!

The girls working

Happy 4th Anniversary Shilo!

Today Makes 4 years to the day that Shilo and I became partners though Summit Assistance Dogs.
In the past four years Shilo and I have:

• Lived in 2 apartments
• Worked three jobs
• Taken dozens of Road trips
• Gone on 8 first dates
• Had a hand in raising 13 puppies
• Dated and broken up with one boyfriend
• Experience Survived a the  of my first SD together death together
• Flown together
• Traveled to DC and advocated on Capital Hill together taking 10 meeting with representatives and Senators
• Gone Sailing for the first time together

I'm sure there's more but those are the highlights standing out right now! Stay tuned for a picture slide show!
Yours in Canine Partnership,
Melissa and SD Shilo, Summit Assistance Dog

Ending the Way We Began

On Friday September 21, 2012 I started my day with a flurry of calls from my parents, which could only mean that something big was wrong. Little did I know when I returned the call just how big. You see in my family animals are just as important as the people. I called my parents back and found out Bastien wouldn't or couldn't get up, so they we taking him to the vet ASAP. As usual my parents put me on speaker phone so that Bastien could hear my voice, as soon as her heard me call Bastien... Bastioni-Macoroni he was on his feet. I could hear the relief in my father's voice that he was up; maybe it wouldn't be too bad. 

Less than hours later I got a call back from my mom. Bastien has cancer; it's bad- wrapped around his intestines. The vet wanted to end things then and there. There was nothing to be done. My mom, always having been my fiercest advocate that I knew my own mind and body gave my Bastien no less respect. She said "this dog will tell us when he is done, as he has many times before." She left vet's office with a week's worth of pain meds and called me with the awful news. I promptly planned with my best friend, Leslie, to get everything in order for mad dash to Washington. I knew I would know what was in store for my baby boy.

I walked into my parents place and knew the instant I set eyes on him he was not long for this world. Due to a massively bad allergy season he had lost about half the fur on his body, and while the skin had healed thanks to my mom's diligent nursing the fur just could not recover. Even in such a state, he go up to come greet me, Leslie and Shilo before we could get over to him. As usual he knew Grammy (my mom) had set out a fruit and vegetable tray and he wanted his share! So I laid on the floor with him stroking, and doing puppy massage until he purred (yes some dogs do purr with delight). I don't know how long I was on the floor, but we we there for a while. I shared the last bite of each fruit or vegetable I had from the tray., and just as he always had Bastien waited patiently for his bite taking whatever I offered gently.  He didn't care what it was if it was fruit or veggie and I was offering he was eating! We shared squash, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

I knew as I drove the four hours up, I was going up to see for myself and to say goodbye. I didn't want to even risk that he might suffer just so I could get there say goodbye. Bastien die on Monday September 24, 2012. The world has lost a happy go lucky, mischievous, wicked smart dog who never met a person or dog he didn't think was his best friend. Me, I lost my kindred spirit in a dog suit who outlasted 3 jobs, two boyfriends, saw me through my 20's, saved me from the utter confusion/depression that was what to do after college- afterall, to that point my whole life had been about college. He was the best ambassador and travel companion ever accompanying me to more than half the states and four countries over his career. He taught me patience and the true meaning of consistency. He was always up for a party and finding interesting ways to solve any thing that got in the way of fun. He loved snow and snowballs. Bastien thank you for it all, even the sad parts.

  

New Mobility Magazine on Service Animals

The February issue of New Mobility Magazine came out today featuring the topic of flying with a service dog in their Travel Matters column. Over the years New Mobility has featured nearly two dozen articles important to the service dog community including one featuring yours truly and my first service dog, Bastien.  If traveling is a part of your life with a service dog or will be don't miss the Travel section of Service Dogs: A Way of Life!

Book Review: Modern Dog Magazine-Food Allergies 101

Modern Dog Magazine has a great article this month of food allergies in dogs... what causes allergies, preventing allergies, spotting them, and what to do when your dogs is miserable with allergies. My first service dog Bastien was allergic to wheat, something I discovered through trial and error when he was young. Poor thing was itchy, developed hot spots with anything more than just small dog size treat with wheat in it. Read  Food Allergies 101

Laws Protect and Impose Penalties for Interferring, Injuring, or Killing Service Dogs

More than half the states have laws laws on the books protecting service dogs and their handlers for interference, injury, or death caused by a person or their animal, based on a self conducted count of the results in a Google search. I have wanted to write this post for a while, but I didn't know of a good compilation until recently. I discovered the Harm to Service Animals and Criminal Interference Laws
Resource from the Animal Legal and Historical Center at the University of Michigan.
Many people don't see any harm in:

• letting through dog "say hi" to a working service dog
• Coming up, grabbing and petting a service dog
• Barking, whistling, clapping their hands, talking to in a baby voice, or making kissy noises with the intent of attracting the attention of a working service dog
• Throwing food or other objects at a working service dog 
• Yelling a working dog's name with the intent to distract them 
• Crawling on the floor trying to pet a working service dog
• Issuing commands to a service dog to see if it will listen even just one to them
• Hitting,kicking or purposely stepping on a working service dog to see if they can make it react
• Allowing their children to do any of these behaviors

I know some of the things on the list seem unbelievable, but they do happen to most teams at some point in their partnership. These things often seem funny,or harmless to the people doing them because they:
a) love dogs so much they can't help themselves
b) want to see if the dog is really as well trained as everyone says
c) want to be able to provoke a dog to bad behavior because they don't like/fear dogs and know  if the dogs act up they will have to leave
d) think that they or their children should be allowed to play with or do whatever they want because these dog are there and are safe
I can think of many instances in the media such as the women whose guide was dropped kicked off it's feet, and the hearing dog who was attacked by off-leash dogs in a mall parking lot (warning very graphic description) to name a few.

Sadly, I also have no shortage of instances in my own life both minor and large where people, their children, and/or their pets have interfered with my service dog safely executing their duties in peace.

• Bastien and I were crossing a five lane street when someone who knew us from the bus decided to call his name when we were in the middle of the crosswalk causing him to stop,turn and look as he was trained to do leaving me stopped in the middle of the street. Most crosswalks don't give me enough time  to get safely across going as fast as we could, it was something I never allowed this to happen again because I stopped giving out his name.
• Bastien and went to a neighborhood store one Sunday morning to pick up a few items for brunch.Bastien was minding his own business laying as close the the case as he could get to be out of the way while waiting for me to decide what I wanted, when I felt his head turn toward his tail. I turned to see what was bothering him,and was astonished to see an eight year old child  repeatedly purposely stepping on his tail. I told her to please stop stepping on my dog and she did it again! I told her again to stop stepping on my dog. This time her mother heard me and proceeded to start screaming at me tat her daughter could do whatever she wanted and ,well let's just say the situation continued to deteriorate until store staff who knew us came to our rescue.
• The college students on the bus to work who repeatedly call to, make noises at, and pet Shilo. This happens so often I have lost count.
• The women on the Amtrak who decided it was a good idea to come up behind a strange dog (Shilo), and start scratching her behind without saying a word to her or me while we were trying to exit the train.
• The dog shut in a car at the beach with the window down starting to come out the window,barking and bearing its teeth while the owner who was twenty feet away tried to convince us the dog was "harmless". We, My roommate,her guide Cammy,and Shilo, decide it wasn't harmless back tracked crossed the road and went up the other side where the side walk was non-existent.

I could go on for pages with various stories. I am fortunate that none of these instances have caused me or my service injury or death. However, it is not at all hard for me to imaging anyone of the above situations having turned out very differently. Service dogs are with their owners to assist them in: navigating a world that remains difficult at the best of times; give them the help they need when and how they need it rather than hoping for someone to decide to help then hoping the person doesn't hurt them somehow in the process;being able to actively decide and participate in the business of living their lives. The time you have the urge or see someone actively trying to distract or interfere with a service dog, I hope you will think of the real danger your seemly harmless action  may cause choosing instead to exercise self-control and admire our dogs quietly, from distance. 

Taking Advantage of Teachable Moments and Discoveries with your Service Dog

Teachable moments is a phrase parents often hear meaning that life life presents parents with natural opportunities in which to teach their children valuable life skills and lessons. These are times when children often show their natural interests, strengths, and talents. Once again dogs like children are subject to teachable moments. As a person becomes more intune with their dog, their existing skills and potential for further skill has great potential to increase, that's if you are ready to take adantage of learning opportunities as they present themselves.

Shiloh and I have now been partnered for six months. She has become much more confident in employing the skills she was trained to do before placement with me, as well as gained some new skills such as flushing toilets, ferrying things around the house and wheelchair pulling. The wheelchair pulling and toilet flushing are examples of things I began teaching her when a natural but not life dependent moment to do so presented itself. We happened to be in the bathroom one day and I had time, so I lured her to flush the toilet. It wasn't long before she figured out what I wanted and on the natural marker of the sound of the toilet flushing I threw a mini party. With wheelchair pulling I started by just going for short walks around the block and rewarding her for the slightest pressure against the harness. Again, I did not have anywhere we had to be and we weren't far from home, so I could always call for help. Shiloh is not like a lot of dogs that take any opportunity to go faster. She is quite content to go at my snail pace. Bastien, my first service dog, took to the invitation to go his natural and much faster pace and ran with with it! She is slowly getting the pulling down and as she has more experience with it is enjoying the increase in pace. The other day my roommate and I had some errands to run at the local mall but were in no great rush.I decided that this would be an ideal moment to make some advances in Shiloh's pulling training. Again, I had my roommate so if Shiloh was not interested in working on this it was no big deal. I have trained dogs to pull before and find the low friction, smooth floors of a mall ideal for working on pulling since the chair can coast and the dog is really just maintaining this momentum. My roommate acting as a sort of lure decide to see if she could really get her going by going ahead and calling her. She has since been pulling more steadily.
I also like to take advantage of natural talents and preferences. Shiloh likes to use her feet for things more than her nose. In the case of doors and door buttons her feet often work and work well, but I have been working to show her with the small buttons her nose is more effective and she is now to the point where she is choosing between foot or nose depending on the situation. Shiloh is a very observant girl and it shows.
Bastien is also a dog of many talents. He had a particular talent for learning the names of people, places, and things. I was able to capitalize on this to teach him to find specific people and places while out in public such as my parents, boyfriend, boss, the exits, bathroom and pick up only specific things even if there was a pile of things on the floor.
To take advantage of a teachable moment one needs:
1. Patience
2. Time
3. Rewards on hand
4. To want the dog to succeed but not be in a situation where the dog must do it for safety.
Have any of you had memorable teachable moments with your service dog or been able to identify and turn a natural talent into a trained task?

AKC to allow Mixed Breed dog to Compete

Many service dogs compete in other dog activities such as agility and Rally-O; however, since many service dogs are without papers or crossbreeds they have been unable to compete in AKC sponsored events. Today's news brought the announcement of a new AKC Mixed Breed program that will begin in October of this year.
AKC is a little late to the game, but I am glad to see them realizing that people with mixed breed companions enjoy a variety of dog sports. The American Mixed Breed Obedience Registration began offering formal obedience trials for mixed breed dogs in 1983. The American Association of Pet Dog Trainers and the United States Dog Agility Association, Inc also accept mixed breed and non-papered competitors.
Competing in sports like agility, Rally-O and formal obedience trials can not only enhance the bond between handler and dog, but allow them to learn new behaviors that may benefit their working partnership and fine tune the foundation skills upon which many other behaviors are built. Participating in dog sports also gives handler and dog and additional social outlets. My first service dog, Bastien, and I took a Rally-O class together through a local dog obedience club. We were lucky to find an instructor their who had scene people competing using wheelchairs. She was very enthusiastic in problem solving with us ways to navigate the obstacles. Bastien and I even managed to impress the other competitors with some of our service dog behaviors and skills such as out leash retrievals, and come rounds (a back and turn) that were very helpful in that course. Bastien loved the class and would leave every class completely happy. Rally-O focuses on the partnership as well as the obedience. You can pet your dog, talk to your dog, repeat a cue, but you cannot use harsh correction or physically force your dog to do the behavior in any way. I tell you people (myself included) make absolute fools out of themselves to encourage their dogs and the dogs just love every minute!
I think Rally-O is an excellent idea for new handlers or people looking to have some fun with their service dogs because it meets you where you are at and many of the obstacles transfer to situations service dogs encounter in their working lives. The weave cones, the stay and walk around, the about face turns and many others are all transferable. These moves when practice can lead to the image I treasure of the symmetrical ballet that is a well matched, well established service dog team.

Tips for Keeping your Service Dog Happy, Healthy, Beautiful, and Welcome

This week I came across a news story from Australia Clean dogs only please, that brought up an important point; with the right of public access accompagnied by our service dogs comes standards of care including grooming that are higher than that for an average pet.

Many people partnered with their first service dog are also first time dog owners and dog grooming can be a daunting process. I found a great article on grooming basics for those wondering about the right brush, how to bathe their dog, and trim their nails (there are are even videos for the visual learners among us). I know I may be a bit odd, because I love grooming my dogs. I find it very calming after a long day for both myself and my service dog. When I was raising Bastien I took a community education course for several weeks at the local technical college and learned tricks and preferred tools from some area professional groomers. I would pack Bastien up at least once a month to go to the local do it yourself dog wash and go through the whole process from the tip of his nose to his tail. I also brush my dogs every day. Sadly, there came I time when doing the bath and everything myself just became too much physically. I then began to take them to a local professional groomer, while continuing maintenance grooming between visits. Choosing a groomer can be a long process, especially since groomers are not generally required to have any education or certification. The HSUS has a good article on choosing a groomer.
Tips for Keeping a Working Service Dog Clean:
1. Spend 5-10 minutes bushing your dog everyday. Brushing serves many purposes: keeps shedding and fly away hair down, takes the top dirt off before it penetrates to the skin,keeps painful and expensive mats from developing, distributes the coat oils that make your dog shine with beauty and helps ward off parasites. More on Choosing the right brush for the job.I love long, thick, double coats and never shaved Bastien. I pity anyone who would have given him back to me shaved! It is written on all his grooming cards in large letters- DO NOT Shave! Why Shaving double coated dogs is not recommended.
Shiloh while the length of her hair is short is also double coated. to keep the shedding at bay Shiloh and Bastien both have their coats stripped twice a year (at least) usually coinciding with when they begin to blow their coats. Stripping is not difficult it is just a long process requiring the right tools and patience.
2. Keep the sharp tips off your dog's nails. Dogs with long nails often have trouble getting their footing on indoor surfaces. Not to mention dogs that operate door buttons and switches, possibly damaging walls. No all dogs nails grow at the same speed and some dogs do a pretty good at keeping their nails pretty short, so taking the tips off every 7-10 days is enough. Other dogs nails grow very quickly so trimming every week is required. If a dog's nails are trimmed regularly, the blood vein called the quick will stay back from the ends making it less likely you will injure your dog. Nails that hare not attended to can cause serious and expensive injuries.
3. No one likes the smell of wet dog! If you live in a wet climate like I do you might consider adding a rain coat or super absorbent shammy to your gear. It also a good idea to teach your dog to shake off on cue, so whatever they are shaking off doesn't land on nearby people, merchandise, or food tables. You can easily prevent your dog from shaking off by holding you hand (with a little pressure) on its head. Shaking off is a reflex that must start with the head, so if you stop the head, you stop the whole process. No more shower after dog baths!
4. Use unsented, hypoallegenic baby wipes between trips to the groomer for quick clean ups. Baby wipes are the same product as those pet wipes only cheaper. I use wipes will all my dogs and they love it. It's an all over massage.
5. Keep your gear clean! There's no point in cleaning your dog and putting dirty collars, leashes, vests, harnesses, etc. back on. Most gear on our service dogs can go through the washer; however, people with leather gear will want to protect it using proper leather care.
6. Dog Breath. Dog Breath is something I haven't experience with my service dogs. A dogs should have it's teeth clean regulary by a vet. They should also be fed high quality food. I also give my dogs some form of chew every day. The chewing serves to scrape teeth clean and keep them strong. Finally I brush their teeth regularly. This is also a service some groomers may offer.

Thoughts on Keeping Stress Low in Service Dogs While Working

Everyone knows the "All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy." This also applies to service dogs. Even if a dog truly delights in working, many handlers will tell you the dog has a favorite aspect, or pace that may not happen as much as the dog would like. Some examples from my pack include:

• Cammy- loves to guide her mom at a very speedy pace through campus and around town. She finds slow tasks like shopping extremely boring. To alleviate some of her boredom her mom will often use the time in the aisles/ racks to ask for and reward precise obedience behaviors.

• Bastien- Bastien loves to play tug, fetch small stuffed toys, chew on nylabones, perform fast paced obedience drills, and making new friends dog or human. In our life together we often had very long days from the time we left the house until we made it home. Between bus time and actual work hours a ten hour day was average when working out of the office. When we traveled and worked conference a sixteen hour day was not unheard of. I always kept water bowls, treats and small toys in our pack, so that Bastien could let off some steam while working. It never ceased to amazed me what a difference a couple of face paced/rewarded drills, a minute out two of good tugging, a quiet five to ten minute nyla chew under the table, or a chance to meet someone new made in Bastien's ability to hang with me during even the longest days.
• Shiloh-loves chew toys, treats, sniffing, and meeting new people.
• Einstein lives for tennis balls. Between classes his mom has identified out of the way spots on campus where they can toss the ball a few times on a long line.
  
• Finally all of our dogs love the dog park!
  

Learning to keep tabs on their dogs stress levels has helped many people I know become more aware and in control of their own stress levels. Being prepared to meet your partners needs, will help the team to always function at top levels!

It's All a Matter of Perspective

Today as Shiloh were unloading to go into work a mother was also unloading her son, who attends the Head Start program in the building, all of the sudden I hear this tiny voice say "Hey, that dog looks like Balto!" I couldn't help but smile as I continued assembling my wheelchair. The mother continuing to free her children from their car seats said, "That's a working dog." He son in his continuing awe over Shiloh, "You know I don't have a dog like that." The mother, I am sure not wanting to open that can of worms, simply replied, "That's right you don't."

This scene is just one small example of how service dogs improve the lives of people with disabilities by changing how (or if) other people see and react to them. I know many people living with disabilities (including myself) who are outgoing, friendly, talented, intelligent, ect., yet, often find themselves feeling alone and invisible in the middle of a huge crowd. While this is not a trained task, being validated as existing by the people around you, goes a long way to improving how many people living with disabilities feel about themselves. Even in today's progressive society, I have experienced people actively avoiding me, pulling their children away, climbing over the top of me like a piece of furniture without so much as an excuse me, and more. Yet, the incident above and others like it since partnering with my first service dog, Bastien, give me faith that there are people who can treat people with respect and humanity.

I had another unforgettable,wonderful incident involving two children with Bastien, my first service dog. Bastien and I were coming out of a local Rite Aid and I had paused on the side walk to figure out what the shortest route to the bus home was. As we were sitting on the side walk, two children, a boy and a girl around 5 and 6 years old, came running up to us. They stopped as if someone had applied the brakes about a foot away from us. They, then, politely asked if they could pet my dog. Since I believe in rewarding children for asking before touching my service dog, I said yes. They both very gently stroked Bastien a few times. Then, these two beautiful children surprised me further by thanking me and gently kissing my cheek before running back to their mother who had by this time caught up to her little whirlwinds. I will never forget either of these two incidents.

Retired But Not without New tricks!

Many of you have read about Bastien, my first service dog who retired last year. I thought I would share with you a story about his lastest antics as a retired service dog.
Every evening when mother comes home from work the dogs get a "chewy" otherwise known as a rawhide. The other day Bastien heard mom's car pull into the driveway and promptly ran to where the chewies are stored, grabbed a bunch of chewies, and brought them to the living for the other dogs, then ran back and picked a chewy out for himself!
This story is an excellent example of dogs as anticipatory learners. He put together the event of my mother coming home and getting chewies. He then decided to cut out the middle man so to speak! After all he knows where the chewies are and can get to them, so why not get them himself. What I found most interesting is that he offered the resource to the other dogs first and then got his.

Meet Bastien, an Owner Trained Service Dog

Name: Bastien

Breed: English Shepherd

Date of Birth: May 2000

Weight: 55-57lbs

Handler: Melissa who has CP and uses a wheelchair

Favorite things: Other Dogs, Training, Children

Favorite Toys: Booda squeaky terry cloth pig (aka Piggy), Dino Bone "wolf" Nylabone, Kong

Favorite Treats: Simon and Huey's, Castor and Pollux, Three Dog Bakery Jump, Sit, Fetch Bits, Fruit and vegetables (all kinds except celery), string cheese, Zukes Mini Naturals

Certifications: Canine Good Citizen (passed 3 times), Public Access Test (passed Twice), and Therapy Dogs International (passed just before retiring)

Job Description: Service Dog, Globe trotter, Socialite

Favorite Tasks: Wheelchair pulling, pulling off my coat, finding people

Unique Tasks: Flushing toilets

Natural Talents: Unscrewing bottle tops, learning names


Countries Visited: Canada, Germany, Spain, USA (almost half the states)

Favorite Trip: Camp Winnaribbon

Favorite Places: the dog park, the beach

Settling into retirement

As I wait for news of my next dog, I went up to visit my parents this weekend. This of course meant I would see Bastien. Retiring him was, without a doubt, one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. Bastien, being a dog is incapable of lying to spare my feelings. Something I often wonder is if we humans do more to spare our own feelings than anyone else's. As soon as I walked in the door, Bastien showed me I had made the right decision sending him to proverbial Florida – aka my parents house. No sooner than I was in the door he laid claimed to me and would not let the other dogs even greet me. I knew I had made the right choice in sending him there. It would have been a total mystery and complete betrayal to our relationship for me to have begun to work a new dog. He also would have most likely interfered – just as he does with the other dogs greeting me -- in the new dog's ability to work.

Since I retired him, every time I come to visit he is given the option of sleeping with me. In this too he showed me he was happy in his situation. Each time I visited previously he had chosen to stay with me. This time he walked me to bed and as I got in he looked at me, wagged his tail, and turned to follow the others out. Earlier that evening he was happy to sit with me and even showed me that he still remembered those odd games we used to play. I dropped my cell phone and he immediately dove under my chair and retrieved it! I was so proud of him; I made quite the fuss over it. A little while later I needed a water bottle and his response was “I played the game once, I am done for now.”

While I do not know what my new partner with bring into my life or what I will bring to theirs; I know I will continue to partner with these dogs for as long as can provide them with the care hey need. Much of how my partnership with Bastien has changed my life has only revealed its true depth in the clarity that comes with hindsight.

Tails of Trains

Sitting on a train today with no canine for assistance or company, I can't help but remember the first time I took Bastien on a train. We were taking the Sounder Train from Tacoma to Seattle. While he was well versed at all other forms of ground transport be it buses, cars, or taxis. Heck, we even went on our first airplane trip when he was eight months old. At the time commuter trains were relatively new to the area. I went with plenty of time to pre-board and load (as I call it) with training tidbits and a medium GreenieTM, just in case he was a little unsure and needed some distraction. After, nearly a year of working, training and living with him, I knew this first experience with trains could set the tone for all future rail type travel. I have always been a person with itchy feet, so my service dogs have to trust me and be willing to come along no matter what the form of transport.

There we were sitting where we had been placed to wait outside near the tracks. His face as the train pulled in was unforgettable! It said, “Holy cow, mom! Is it gonna eat us!” While Bastien had never been a dog who cared much about loud noises, this was like a mini earthquake with the ground rattling all around. I began to have him do some training exercises like “Watch me” and “Puppy push ups” with rapid fire rewarding to keep him focused and relaxed as the train barreled down on us. He was more than happy to oblige me. Once the staff had the ramp in place he happily trotted across with me.

I used the same placement cues that we had been working on since we started taking the bus when he was eight weeks old. While the staff put the tie downs on my chair, I have him wait off to one side or the other depending on the chair spot using the cues “Right Side” for right and “Place” for the left side. He is also in a firm sit, with the occasional “Leave it” in case he is getting a little to solicitous with the staff tying down the chair. (Remember some transport staff have had bad experiences with or may not like dogs, so it is of the utmost importance that the service dog mind his manners and keep his tongue to himself.)

Once the chair is firmly in place I would move him to the space in front of me with a point of my index finger and a “Spot” cue. Nicely settled, we had a 40 minute train ride. I gave him the GreenieTM and he happily set to work. He did not even look up as the train roared to life to leave the station. Neither rain, sleet, snow, or the rumble of a train could distract him from his GreenieTM..By the time he polished it off and came looking for more, I knew trains were not going to be a problem for this dog.

I think even if a person is not an avid traveler, you owe it to yourself and service dog to introduce them to all possible forms of transport along with the necessary training to successfully work and enjoy these life options with your partner. Some rules of travel and cues Bastien and I found extremely useful are:

Traditional Cues:
-Wait
-Front
-Behind
-Back = Back Up
-Off
Leave it
-Stand
-Under
-Stay

My Cues (meaning I made them up because they made sense to me):
-Spot = used to identify the place where I want him to settle
-Straighten = used to get him to lay as closely to the side of my chair as possibly. I use this to fix the in inevitable sprawl that tends to happen with long placement commands like sit, down, and stand.
-Come round = meant to turn himself in a circle
-Tuck = told him to pull his tail in
-Get in = meant to go through a door ahead of me
-Go with ______. Meant to go with the person I handed his leash to. This one came in handy all the time.
-Outside = told him to find the nearest door going out.
-Bathroom = told him to find the nearest ladies room.
-Rattle = told him to shake. Handy in our wet climate for a service dog to wait to shake off until you find a nice out of the way spot.
-Find ______. = Told him to find a specific person in the crowd. This was a natural skill of his I noticed when he was young for learning people names and remembering. I took this talent and and capitalized on it. I would introduce him to someone by name and allow that person to really love up on him. Then when I would ask him to find that person later I would always right away give them person to pet him and make a big deal about it with him. This worked so well I found my boss in the middle of the Denver United airline terminal!

Applying for a Successor Service dog

I thought I would share with everyone what the process of applying for Summit Assistance Dogs has been like for me. I finally had made the decision to complete and mail in the application. Truth be told I had completed most of it a few months earlier, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish the final essay on why I wanted a service dog. Finally, in November with much travel looming in the first part of 2008 I decided that the best time for me to officially retire Bastien would be Christmas --I know what a present to myself. I really wanted to make sure I had time to take him and all of his things up to my mom's and get him settled in.


I had to fill out the form complete with contact information for my vet, groomer, and any trainers I had worked with in the past. I also needed a form from my doctor. Finally, I had to get two letters of personal reference from people who are not my family. I also needed the $35 application fee. I sent the application off and Bastien and I proceeded to leave on our last trip together. We spent a week in San Antonio attending the American Council of Foreign Language Teachers, which had an attendance of nearly 7,000 people. During our time there Summit made their first call to me;however, since I was in San Antonio they spoke to my sister/roommate who gave them a lot of much needed details about me and my lifestyle. When I returned they called again to schedule my first assessment, which would take place over two days in Anacortes, Wa. My assessment would be in January, since neither the weather or the holidays made earlier possible. Summit has only seven staff and many, many volunteers.

New Air Carrier Access Act Regs Simultaneously Improve and Potentially Limit Travel

The Air Carrier Access Act for those unfamiliar is the airline/air travel, it can best be explained as the ADA for airlines. Recently, I was surfing a new website for people with disabilities, Disaboom.com, and I came across this article Air Carrier Access Act Amended. I was reading the article and generally happy with with the new rules which come into affect May 2009; that is until I read
"On flights over eight hours, airlines can require passengers with service animals to provide documentation that the animal won’t have to relieve itself, or that it can relieve itself in a way that won’t create a health or sanitation issue on the flight. "



I, for one, would like to know what that documentation has to be and just who has to provide it. For most vets the life of a traveling service dogs is little understood. My vet was astonished when my service dog and I went to Spain in 2005 and I told him my boy went 18 hours without relieving himself. My good friend and owner training mentor, Don Alfera, taught me you always fly you service dog high and dry. Meaning you didn't feed them the meal before you fly and you pick up the water bowl two hours before you fly.
I planned our flight carefully to go through San Fransisco International with plenty of time to visit the dog potty area. I got off the plan and immediately began telling airline staff that I needed to take my dog out. They said to ask the staff at my next gate. I kept insisting but to no avail. So I get to my gate in the international terminal and the staff their tell me that this is a secured area and no one can leave. Okay, plan B. I had packed puppy pee pads just in case. I took my service dog into the stall and put down the pad telling him to go. He had none of it. Had I been able to take him out as I had planned it would have only been about nine hours for him. I knew nine hours on a night flight would be no problem for my boy. Since it was not terribly unusual for him to go the workday between outings.
There are also huge rule changes and additional requirements for those who will be flying with Emotional Support animals as well as for those with Psychiatric Service Dogs. According to the document this is due to a large number of people claiming their animals were Emotional Support or Psychiatric SDs when in fact they were not! Every traveler with disabilities should read and know the new regulations especially section 382.117.

Choosing a program

I mentioned in an early post I mention that I had been accepted as a potential recipient for the Purdy Prison Pet Program years ago. The reason I did not reapply to the that program when Bastien needed to retire was that program had changed the format of its team training, so it was no longer possible for me to meet their requirements. Especially since I now lived more than 200 miles away. When choosing service dog programs to apply to there are many things one must consider such as:



1.Do they train the type of service dog you need?


Many programs only train certain types of service dogs. It is important to ask if the program trains dogs to do the type of work you require. Many programs train hearing dogs, mobility dogs, and dog guides; but few programs train medical alert/response, seizure alert/response, psychiatric service dogs, or dogs for people on the autism spectrum. Cross trained dogs (dogs that are trained in multiple skills such as guide/mobility dog or mobility/medical response) are also rare.

2. Do they place dogs in your area?

All programs have geographic areas they will or will not serve. Make sure you apply only for those programs that serve the area where you live. If there is program training the type of service dog you need and they say they will accept applicants outside the geographic area,make sure you fully understand and can commit to those terms. You may need to travel to the facility several times before placement, you must attend team training, and will need to be re-certified every so often.

3. Do they have limits on the types of tasks they will train? Do you need any of these tasks?

Common examples of tasks that some programs will not train nor allow their dogs to be used for are wheelchair pulling and keeping a child in the confines of the house/yard.

4. What is the policy on other animals in the home?

Some programs do not allow their dogs to be placed in homes with other dogs. The reasoning behind this can include fear that the original dog in the house will not accept the new dog, concern that loyalty on the part of the handler to the resident dog will interfere with bonding with the service dog, and fear that the recipient will not have enough time or resources to properly care for all of the animals.

5. Who maintains ownership of the dog?
Some programs maintain ownership of the dog for the life of the dog. Other programs maintain ownership of the dog for the working life of the dog, relinquishing ownership only after the dog retires. Some programs relinquish ownership at placement. Still others maintain ownership through the first year. It is important to know who under the contract you sign with any organization owns the dog. Many programs maintain ownership to prevent These highly skilled dogs:

• From ending up in shelters or other horrible situations in the event something happens to the handler or the dog gets loose
• To ensure that the dog and partner remain safe to work in public
• To ensure the safety and health of the dogs they place
• To ensure the human partner maintains and works the dog as agreed at placement

6. What training methods does the program employ? Are you willing and able to learn and use these methods?

Do not apply for a dog that uses training methods you disagree with or are unwilling to learn and use. I have seen many dogs come out of training schools highly skilled and trained only to watch the dog turn into little more than a nice dog because the handlers did not maintain the training.

7. What is the placement process and can you meet these requirements?
The placement process each program has it there for very specific reasons. If you cannot or do not want to participate in any part of a particular program's process do not waste their time and yours by submitting an application. If you do not understand any part of the process ask questions!

8. What costs are involved in placement?
While many service dog programs are non-profits and do not charge charge for the dogs themselves. Many do require their clients to pay their room, board, and transportation for team training. Also, some may provide basic gear for the dog, but require the client to purchase specialized gear.
9. What types of support/follow up does the program provide after placement?

• Do they want the client to submit regular updates?
• Do they require the team to come back to the training center at specific intervals for follow up?
• How do they handle training maintenance questions after placement?
• Will they assist with training additional tasks if needed after placement?
• What is the procedure for retiring/replacing dogs if needed?
• What is the procedure for determining if the match is successful or not?